For King and Country ⭒Caspian x Reader⭒

Chapter 9

Banners bearing house crests waved in the air out in the fields surrounding Cair Paravel. Camps had been set up for the noble houses and Caspian was methodical about separating certain houses from the others due to rivalries and unpaid blood debts between them. A blanket of smoke rested over the camps as small fires stayed lit to cook meals and heat tired feet. 

I leaned over the observatory railing and watched the lives below take place.  Every person below has a person who loves them and one who hates them, and their blinders are set to their own path and have no focus on the silly things other people worry about as their head hits the pillow.  

Somewhere beyond the camps in the depths of the forest sat an unmarked grave. Caspian, Peter, Morgan, and I took Warwick's body out of the castle under the cover of night to give him a proper burial instead of him being turned into ash the next time the castle servants burned the refuse. More than I had expected for him, a Vidalian, but still less than he deserved.

"I thought I'd never find you," Morgan said from behind me. I turned to see her wearing a spring gown with sleeves that fell away at her elbow. Her hair was pulled away from her face and wildflowers woven through her blond tresses. 

"You look lovely," I said as Morgan gave a little twirl, "Peter will probably be too distracted to joust,"

"Well, with Doran and his family's house here, Peter knows the drill," Morgan rolled her eyes at the very thought. She had spent the past week entertaining the man and would come into my room after long days of fake pleasantries and rant about him.

Slowly over the past week, houses had trickled into the surrounding lands of Cair Paravel to prepare to go to war. The castle was situated right on the coast, a prime spot for all the houses to convene and depart together. 

Tensions had been high in the court. Ambassadors weren't needed as much seeing as the lords and ladies were there themselves to make their thoughts on any given situation heard. Despite their royal titles, most nobles lacked diplomacy on testier matters, which houses would carry the front, whose cavalry was the strongest, and which house would man the trebuchets and ballistas.

In a time of courtship for the King and of the houses being brought together, events to distract from the impending doom were planned, from performers being brought in and acting out tragic love stories and comedies to days such as today where a jousting tournament would take place. 

Morgan looped her arm through mine, "Into the breach," We left the castle with the masses of courtiers and household servants that weren't needed to prepare the massive feast planned for the evening.

The jousting tournament was set inside a small arena, and what seemed like thousands crowded around it so that they could catch a glimpse of the knights that would be performing.

An elevated platform had been erected for all the noblemen and noblewomen to view the games from. Morgan led us to the front of the rows of high-backed chairs that had been lugged from some recess of the castle for the event. 

Blair and Corinne sat front center as distinguished guests of the king. Blair looked like a bloomed flower under the spring sun, glowing and mingling with those around her with grace and ease, but Corinne sat stiffly, uninterested in what was going on, offering a half-smile and one-word answers when addressed.

The crowd parted as members of Caspian's house rode through on their horses and a noble house's regiment followed closely after. Ten soldiers vs ten soldiers. They would attempt to knock the other knights off their horses with their lances until only one house was left standing, and then the victorious lot would proceed to the next round.